"He was treated unfairly in the Indian team" - Mohammad Kaif's massive statement on RCB's IPL winner ahead of 2026 auction

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif feels veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar was not treated right in the Indian team. He opined that the bowler was unfairly dropped from the side and deserved to get a much longer run.

Kaif pointed out that Bhuvneshwar did an impressive job in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) title-winning campaign in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). He also suggested that India still haven't got an ideal replacement for Bhuvneshwar.

Speaking in a live session on his YouTube channel, the cricketer-turned-commentator said:

"According to me, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was treated unfairly in the Indian team. He was dropped very early. Look at him now too, he came to RCB, and they became the champions. He contributed there too. Questions were raised about his fitness.

"A fast bowler will go through injuries at some point in his career. That is the time when you need to back him. However, they moved on from Bhuvneshwar Kumar very quickly. India still don't have a replacement for Bhuvneshwar Kumar."

Bhuvneshwar was in great demand at the IPL 2025 mega auction. He was ultimately signed by RCB at ₹10.75 crore. He was the team's third-highest wicket-taker of the edition, bagging 17 wickets from 14 outings at an economy rate of 9.28.

The 35-year-old has remained absent from India's national team since November 2022. It remains to be seen if the proven campaigner would get one more chance at the highest level.

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"He will play a lot of white-ball cricket" - Mohammad Kaif on Bhuvneshwar Kumar's IPL future

Mohammad Kaif remarked that Bhuvneshwar Kumar would pick up a lot of wickets if he got another opportunity to play international cricket. He also mentioned that the seamer is unlikely to retire from the IPL anytime soon.

The former RCB batter said in the same video:

"I feel that if he gets a chance to play, he will still pick up wickets. He doesn't want to play Test matches because of his body and has been focusing on white-ball cricket. He will play a lot of white-ball cricket. He just had his best year, where he played a role in RCB's victory."

It is worth noting that Bhuvneshwar is the second-highest wicket-taker in IPL history. He has 198 wickets to his name from 190 innings at an economy rate of 7.69.